Four Charged in I-20 Bus Crash that Injured 61

Three bus drivers and the driver of a car have been charged with the
misdemeanor of following too closely after their roles in a collision
that injured 61 people in May. The collision, which involved six buses
and one car, occurred on Interstate 20 in Newton County. The buses were
transporting Burke County students to a Six Flags amusement park outside
of Atlanta when they approached cars that had slowed down when the
number of lanes went from two to one. The driver of one bus had to be
cut from the wreckage and airlifted to the hospital, but the other
injured individuals were treated for relatively minor injuries.

The trip was a reward for 200 sixth and seventh grade students from
Waynesboro that had scored well on a state assessment test. The chain
reaction began when one bus struck another, forcing the others to switch
lanes and get in their own accidents. The accident started as traffic
slowed when it approached a construction site that left one lane closed
around exit 98, just west of the Georgia Highway 11 exit. According to
the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the drivers charged after the accident
were Betty Harrison Dukes, 48, of Waynesboro, driver of the second bus;
Angela Benjamin Anthony, 44, of Midville, driver of the fifth bus; and
Stephanie D. Pierce, 37 of Midville, driver of the sixth bus.

According to the Georgia State Patrol, the accident happened as follows:
The second bus struck the first bus in the rear. The third and fourth
buses moved to the right lane in an attempt to avoid the collision but
the fourth bus was hit in the rear by the fifth bus, which caused the
fourth to hit the third in the rear. The fifth bus continued forward and
struck the second bus in the rear. The fifth bus was then hit from
behind by the sixth bus and a passenger car struck the rear of the sixth
bus. Thankfully, none of the children were badly injured and the
seriously injured driver’s injuries are non-life-threatening.

Bus accidents are often the cause of negligent or distracted driving,
substandard maintenance or repairs, lax inspections, or dangerous road
conditions. As buses are large, cumbersome vehicles, they often cause
considerable damage when they are involved in crashes. If you or a loved
one is injured in a Georgia bus
accident, you may be
entitled to compensation for injuries sustained. To find out about your
legal options, do not hesitate to receive a consultation by filling
out our free case review form.